I was just reading a viewers take on Michael Scott. I was actually quite surprised that there are people out there with such a negative view this ‘fictional’ character.

To me Michael is hilarious because as much as we hate to admit it, there is people out there just like that! Trust me, I have actually worked with a few.

First off let me say that yes Michael Scott is for the most part is inappropriate …. Okay he is inappropriate in every way possible. In fact I would argue that more so he is ignorant – to the point of naive. The writers, in my view, have worked long and hard (TWSS) developing and explaining Michael. Michael is more than just another rude intolerable boss.

Michael wants to be every one's friend. He is afraid to be alone and craves to be popular. Michael feels the best way to run the office is by entertaining his troops.

Michael: I am like Bette Midler in For the Boys. Gotta keep the troops entertained

I think that essentially Michael has a good heart. He has proved to care for his staff. He sees them as part of his family ( Except for Toby )


Michael: Toby is in HR which technically means he works for Corporate. So he's really not a part of our family. Also he's divorced so he's really not a part of his family.

SIDE NOTE: I think Michael's dislike for Toby is highlighting the general dislike of HR. Think back to the last episode when David was interviewing Jim. Remember this?

David: Uh, oh, hey, do you have your quarterly numbers?
Jim: Yes, absolutely.
David: And that, uh, questionnaire. Sorry to make you fill that thing out...
Jim: Oh, no, absolutely.
David: ...that's a HR formality. We have this very irritating HR guy here, he's probably the only person you're not gonna like. Kendall. Ugh. So, first up...
Jim: [hands David his papers] There you go.

I laughed so hard when David mentioned Kendall with such disgust. We could safely say it was a very Michael moment! Ha ha

I also believe that 99.9% of the time that he is being offensive he is actually convinced that he is being instructive or at the very least entertaining. I think that most of his staff knows this to be true. One example is Jim’s talking head on Branch Closing. You might recall Josh at the last minute turning down the Position of Regional Manger of Dunder Mifflin Northeast? Josh just left everyone hanging and so Jim says…

Jim: Say what you will about Michael Scott, but he would never do THAT!

Although Jim thought Michael capable of selling the Dunder Mifflin building for magic beans he never doubted that Michael's loyalty was with his staff.. his people.

So sure Michael comes off crude, irrational, and for the most part inappropriate…. And yes I am sure he will continue to teach his staff life lessons that all inevitably backfire. Tell me though can you really hate a guy who would kill himself, pretending to kill himself all in the name of Safety Training ;) ?

Come on guys isn’t that what we love about him?